Chapter 40

{How is Rocio?}

{She's sleeping calmly next to Milagros. It helps to have another warm body.}

{Don't you dare try to light a fire. You'll be seen.}

{I won't but I know the girls are cold.}

{Just cozy up next to them.}

{Not until you get back safely, Huehue.}

{You miss me don't you?}

{Yes. Your tail is very warm. And feels wonderful when it's wrapped around…}

{...you.}

Huehue teleports to the last location she was in. The gunfire has stopped. She peers outside the door to find several bodies laying across the dirt road.

{They are dead, Alvaro. Men from both sides.}

{I understand. Stay hidden. There could still be a few survivors looking to start another fight.}

Huehue runs along the rooftops again. It's easier to remain hidden now that night has fallen.

{Alvaro! Look down there.}

Light is emanating from the clinic window. Huehue lands in the alley and looks in. Dr. Sepúlveda is dressing the wounds of several enemy soldiers.

{Go inside, Huehue. But quietly. Don't cause a scene.}

…

*****

"Doctor?" Huehue begins the questioning as soon as she enters the small building.

"You startled me!"

"I am sorry. But these men?

The soldiers are too weak to stand or put up a fight. The worst injuries are on cots. The rest are on the floor, attempting to rest or sleep. A few are passing around a bottle of tequila to subdue the pain.

"I cannot leave these men, Huehue."

"But Alvaro sent me…"

"Alvaro is alive! Thank goodness." Dr. Sepúlveda puts her hand to her buxom.

"You…were worried about him?"

"Of course! He is always on my mind. Ever since I first met him the day Milagros was born."

"What happened that day…"

{I rather not relive this…}

"I rather not relive it…but…you don't know? An invading force of soldiers much like today came into the town and attempted to strip it of all its autonomy. They planned to use it as leverage to gain more land and power from the ruling government.

Well, Alvaro was not a soldier. But he tried to keep justice and protect his people. He had married the year prior. Oh, it was beautiful and I was so jealous of Alvaro and his bride. You see my husband was killed before my very eyes when I lived in a coastal town.

I buried myself in my work. No one vouched for me as a doctor. I'm a woman and a woman's place is in the home making babies. When I lost my husband and had nowhere to work, I moved here.

The money was not good but the people were friendly and welcoming. And I was included in the festivities of the wedding itself. It was held at the town square, in front of the church. The bride was beautiful and Alvaro was a handsome man indeed.

And then the young couple became pregnant. So I had a chance at helping them along, watching them grow into an amazing couple. But when the enemy soldiers arrived, just as the baby was due, everything fell apart.

The town did not have a military of its own. So it took all of Alvaro's effort to quell the violence against the townspeople. The soldiers were brutes. They took out all their anger and frustration against the townsfolk. They beat the old men, kicked children to the earth, and kidnapped the young women for their own pleasure.

Alvaro and Lavina led several young men to confront the soldiers. The Comandante and his men arrived around the same time. They helped Alavaro dispatch the interlopers for good. Alvaro, still being the honest man that he is, chose to escort the remaining soldiers out of town. He did so without their weapons of course. He left them with food and supplies, showing them mercy and kindness.

One of the enemy combatants broke away from the group. Somehow he acquired a bayonet from one of the Commandante's own men. He hid away from the peering eyes.

At nightfall, he entered Alvaro's home. He was a large man and took Alvaro by surprise. His wife was stabbed and Alvaro was severely injured. Lavina arrived at the home by coincidence and shot the assailant dead. She brought me to the home to attend to the wounded. Alvaro lost his eye and wife that night but I managed to bring Milagros into the world safely.

"So Alvaro has been part of your life for some time then?"

"I care about him. I don't want him to experience the same pain that I felt when I lost my husband. It's hard. But I had my work to keep me going and the good people here. He has kept himself secluded, shut away. I guess it's part of his pride. I mean, he's not the same anymore. It's even harder now that I had to take his dominant hand away. He's disabled really. And I can't do anything for him. Or his little girl. I just want the best for him."

"Do you love him?"

"Yes, I do. I don't think he thinks himself worthy of love."

The two become very quiet as the good doctor proceeds to bandage a wound and fix a broken leg.

"Well, I'm here to ask if you want to leave this place to a safer location. Alvaro asked me to."

"I can't, Huehue. I need to help these men, even if they are not the heroes of the town. They are still living breathing beings that deserve mercy."

"I understand, doctor. Be safe."

Huehue runs into the night once more with me in tow, and a heavy heart beating in us both.

...

*****

"We have your Comandante!"

We have made it to the fort. We passed many a dead body along the way. Some friends, some foes. My heart aches at the tragedy surrounding my home. The enemy is now standing in front of the fortified base. They are demanding the Spanish soldiers surrender.

{Alvaro? Do you see who is with the enemy?}

Huehue's eyes are extremely sharp in the dark. She rotates her head from behind a desert plant and allows me to see a small group of hostages within the enemy's grasp.

"We have your Commandante! Surrender or he will perish! He will die like a dog if you do not vacate the fort by dawn!"

{Yes. The Comandante is indeed among the captured. But so is Elena.}

{Alvaro! I'm going down there to take down the enemy. Do you understand that I cannot promise from killing them?}

{Do what you must, Huehue. Please be careful.}

{I'll save your Elena. Don't worry.}

What does she mean by "my Elena"?

Huehue sneaks within the soldiers and blinds them with her transformation smoke. She pulls out her sash and lashes at the eyes of a few of the men. She dives, kicks, and punches another set of soldiers into submission. A trio of soldiers manages to escape the effects of the blinding flash and smoke. They attempt to assault Huehue from three sides. She dances and weaves between them. She leaps into the air and latches her legs around the throat of one and uses her own weight to throw him off balance. She picks up the two men remaining by the collars of their uniforms and bashes their heads together.

"You are amazing. If it was not for your assault on my men before, I would call you a hero."

"I only do what I must protect the innocent, Comandante. Unfortunately for me, you were just included in the deal." Huehue keeps her ears pinned to the back of her head, being cautious and weary of the man before her.

"I will take this blessing to heart, sweet little bandit."

The Commandante bows before us. "Nonetheless I appreciate your help in reducing the enemy into a pile of…well filth."

"You talk an awful lot." Huehue continues to mouth off at the Commandante as she grabs onto the other hostages. "I'm going to go ahead and let you clean up the mess."

Huehue transports the remaining hostages back to my location, including Elena.

...

*****

"Are you ready yet?"

"Almost. It still takes me a while to get dressed."

"It's all right, Papi. Huehue is a very patient person."

"I can be, yes. But do I choose to be?"

"Whatever, Huehue. If you want, go on up ahead. Or better yet, I'll just stay…."

"Stop that. You know I'm just teasing you." Huehue's grin forces her eyes closed.

"And so am I." I smile back at her. I'm sure it is a crooked smile in her eyes. My face doesn't move correctly as it once did before the scars.

"Here, let me help you out." Huehue stands from sitting on my bed and walks towards me.

"Huehue, I know you are strong but it's kind of embarrassing having you pick me up in your arms like this…"

"Papi! You look like a baby! Haha!"

"See?" I can feel myself burning up. Normally, I do not embarrass easily.

"Haha! Fine. Let us get out of here."

*****

We pass through the warm kitchen and step out onto the street.

"Are you three sure you don't want to take a burrito with you?" Elena dismisses us from the main front entryway to her home, which is connected to the homes she rents out. Mine is the closest to hers.

"We are fine, Elena. I am slow but we will not venture far from here. At least I don't plan to walk that much. I just need a little exercise."

"All right, Alvaro. Be careful. If you need something, send Milagros or Huehue up ahead and I'll be there as soon as I can."

"We will be fine. Right girls?" I turn to look at my escorts.

"I don't want to be separated from you…from you all again." Elena pulls up her apron and dries a tear from her eye.

"I understand. I'll make sure to not be too long away."

"Gracias, Alvaro. Milagros, take care of your Papi for me please." I turn to walk away and onto the street but I'm stopped when Elena embraces me from behind.

...

"Everything seems to be going well. The people are rebuilding their homes and their lives again."

"Yes, Alvaro. The people are very resilient despite what happened."

"Well, they have you to thank, Huehue. If it were not for you, these enemy soldiers would have continued killing and threatening the way of life."

"I don't think it was the soldiers who were at fault."

"Dr. Sepúlveda? What a coincidence. We were going to make a stop at your clinic for a bit."

"Hello, girls. Hello, Alvaro. You are just the people I wanted to see. Do you have a moment?"

We follow the good doctor to her clinic and home.

...